Incomplete and abandoned buildings comprise a distinctive  architectural typology. Across the West Africa, abandoned property  developments are key city landmarks. From the incomplete airport  tower in Accra to the abandoned La Pyramide in Abidjan, they  stand as iconic and unmissable features within the city’s brutalist  landscape. The reasons for their failures are manyfold, but what  unites them was a vision to showcase the grand prospects of  the African future. The obvious conclusion drawn from their current  status is that they are symbols of infrastructural failure and mis – management. But what if they could symbolize prosperity,  opportunity, inspiration, and hope for the future? What if we flipped  their failure into models of Afro-utopian spatial justice and as sites of  modern interdisciplinary engagement, by honing in on their greatness  and bringing them into the life of contemporary West Africa? 

Utilizing the technique of photogrammetry, we scan the unfinished  structures and build a world from their skeletal carcasses. The  research and documentation has taken place already in parts of  West Africa, with plans to expand to East, South, and North Africa.  By creating a digital archive of these liminal structures, we aspire to  revitalize their existence and purpose and allow individuals to  interact with the scanned sites in a space that forms creative and  interdisciplinary engagement. Our aim is to invite a range of  practitioners working within the topics of modernity, liminality, and  future to explore how collaborative efforts can embrace liminality  and create meaning beyond the transitory state. 

In collaboration with: Thomas McLucas (Digital Design), Trini-Maria Katakwe  (Exhibition Design), Oláiídéa Yeni (Lagos Photography)